Self adjusting garment



Aug. 17, 1937. J. BlVONA SELF ADJUSTING GARMENT Filed Sept. 1

, INVENTOR.

TTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I Application September 1 Claim.

This invention relates to garments and has particular reference to devices such as trousers.

One object of the invention is to provide a de-' vice of the character described, having improved means whereby adjustability at the waist line can be readily obtained without producing folds or other bulkiness.

Another object of the invention is to provide a trouser or the like having improved means adapted for inexpensive quantity production on a large scale and resulting in a conventional appearing trouser which can be drawn snugly around the body of the wearer without producing the appearance of an excess of material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent as the specification proceeds.

With the aforesaid objects in view, the invention consists in the novel combinations and ar- 20 rangements of parts hereinafter described in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claim, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughoutthe several 5 views. i

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation showing a trouser embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side view of the same but with the waist line portion drawn in to a reduced size.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective View with parts of the trouser spread open to 35 show details of construction.

Fig. 5 is a similar view but with certain parts disconnected to show structural details and the method of manufacture.

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on 40 the line 6-6 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the line 'I-'I of Fig. 1.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features 45 and instrumentalities are combined in one and the same structure, but, useful devices may be produced embodying less than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same 50 may be incorporated in several different constructions. The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showing the preferred exemplification of the invention.

Referring in detail to the drawing, Ill denotes 55 a garment such as a trouser, or the like, embody- 1, 1936, Serial No. 98,851

ing the invention. The same may include a body or waist receiving section II and leg receiving sections I2 depending therefrom. The trouser may consist, generally, of a front portion I3 and a rear portion I4, extending from the waist line I4a= to the bottom of the garment. These front and rear portions may be united along the longitudinal side seams I5.

The front portion I3 may have pockets I6, each of which may comprise finishing strips [1, I8 of the same material as the trouser, these strips affording the mouth I9 of the pocket, so arranged that the mouth lies along the seam line I5. For instance, the strip I1 is connected to the front portion I3 as by a line of stitching at 20. The strips I'I, I8 may be tacked at 2|, 22 to the front section I3 to reenforce the mouth I9 of the pocket. In course of -manufacture the front trouser section I3, so completed, with the pocket secured thereto, may be connected to the rear trouser section I4 by the seam I5, which, at the region of the pocket interconnects the strip I8 with the rear section I4. This seam I5 may terminate at the upper end of the pocket, and may be reenforced by the tacking 22 directly, orv by certain connections of the lining, as may be preferred.

An important feature of the invention is that the seam I5 terminates as at 22 in spaced relation to the waist line I401. to provide an opening 23 which is open ended at the waist line. This opening preferably extends lengthwise of the seam I5, and the adjacent parts of the trouser overlap at said opening. The length of the opening may be substantial, say two and one-half to three inches in length to permit ample adjustability in the degree of overlap. For example, the initial overlap may be about three-quarters of an inch, and may be increased to between two and two and one-half inches, thus permitting a very material change in the effective length of the waist line, to suit wearers of different sizes, and without producing folds, gathers or other bulkiness.

Preferably the rear section I4 is formed with forward projecting extensions 24 adapted to underlie the adjacent parts 25 of the front trouser portion. This permits the free edge 26 to lie in a straight line along the edge of the front portion I3 that runs along the pocket and into the seam I5, thus resulting in a neat conventional looking appearance, and simplifying the manufacture of the trouser. For example, the edge 26 may be finished off in a straight line down the mouth of the pocket, and a single short tackmize belt movement thereat to prevent undue shifting of the parts defining the opening 23. 7

It will be understood that the constructionfor both sides of the trouser. is the same. I a .The alinement of the openings 23 'with the pockets permits inexpensive quantity: production of the trouser. By disposing the pockets whollyv under the openings 23, a person cannot'acci dentally insert his hand or finger into the opening 23, Another advantage is that the-pocket can be completely secured and finished before the parts l3, l4 of the trouserare sewn together. Since the pocket involves the most expensive manufacturing operations in making' the garment, these features are very important. Related advantages are that, the rear portion I4 can be completely sewn to the frontportion [3 by a straight stitching operation. I

With thisinventiomgthe repair work usually required to make the-waist portion of the trouser fit thewearer is eliminated. .It becomes .unnecessary to carry in stock trousers of difierent sizes at. the waist. Untidybulkiness at the waist line is. avoided. The excess of material, if any, isautomatically taken up by tightening the belt. The adjustability' at the opening 23 permits a very wide range of. variation in the length of the waist line.

.In manufacture, the pockets [6 with their tion l3 by interconnecting the longitudinal edge portions 32, 33 of the respective portions to form the seams l5. Then the tacking at 22 is done, or additional stitching at .22 provided if the pocket has been previously tacked at 22. The trouser is now complete.

I claim:

A trouser having a body section and leg sections depending therefrom, the trouser consisting of front and rear members extending from end to end thereof, the front member having side 7 pockets, having their openings at the side edges ;of the front member, said pockets having side walls, oneof the side walls having a marginal 'reenforcement strip, the other wall and said reenforcement-istrip bein'gconnected to the'front initially operatively assembledwith the front member prior to the assembling of the latter with the rear member, said front and rear members being seamed together below the pocket mouths and in-alinement therewith, and being ing portions extending-forwardly to a substantial extent beyond the seam lines to freely movably' underlap the adjacent portions of the front,

member, said portions terminating at the top ends of the pocket mouths and the said tacking being connected with the lower edges of said portions along the entire-length of said lower edges,

and strap means abovethe pockets for adjustably controlling the extentto which said portions underlap the front member' to thus control the size of the trouser waistline; said strap means including straps'each having a free'end at thefront of the trouser and its'opposite end permanently' connected to one of said portions at a point spaced substantially to the rear of the adjacent seam line.

JOSEPH BIVONA.'

7 member so that the-pockets. are adapted to be 7 

